The Snooker Players Championship is an international professional ranking tournament. It took place in Wolverhampton from 7-13 Feb 2022. In this article, we'll examine Zhao's form, Shaun Murphy's chances of reaching the final and John Higgins' defence of his title.
Zhao's Formula
Zhao's form at the snooker players championship was a definite step up from his BildBet German Masters victory last January. In the first round, Zhao beat Jamie Clarke 4-1, but lost to Chris Wakelin 2 rounds later. In the fifth frame, Zhao fought back after falling behind 61-0 to take the frame with a break of 71. He won the match with four straight top run wins to secure his third season-high win.
Zhao Xintong has shown great potential to become a world champ at Snooker Players Championship. O'Sullivan, the current world champion of the sport, will be his opponent in the final. Zhao is currently the world number one.
John Higgins defends his title
John Higgins' defense of the title for snooker players champion was a triumphant one. The final was won by Mark Williams, an Irishman who reached the semi-finals of the 2009 UK Championship. Higgins had to overcome a setback to win the final, but he hit four century breaks in the decider for the title. The victory was his third consecutive victory in the competition and was the first time that he has won the title three times.
The Irishman was a masterclass in his performance. After an opening frame of colours, he won the following seven frames and led 8-3 after three frames. Then, Higgins fired an 84-break to take the lead again. Robertson had a chance to win the title after Higgins made a mistake on the baulk pad.
Ronnie O'Sullivan's form
Ronnie O'Sullivan has reestablished himself as a major British sport and has been in excellent form at the Snooker Players Championship. His victory in Sheffield on two days has restored his world number one ranking, and it confirmed his status among the most outstanding snooker players. He is now tied with Stephen Hendry on seven world titles and will now look to win a supplementary world title next year.
O'Sullivan won the first part of the match but Fu was able to break through the balls. O'Sullivan extended O'Sullivan's lead after Fu missed his shot. Fu lost momentum in the first frame. O'Sullivan punished him with a break to 105.
Shaun Murphy's chances at reaching final
Since his entry to the professional circuit, Shaun Murphy was a regular competitor in the snooker tournament players championship. Murphy's rise to prominence in the tournament was not without challenges. He has also suffered from injuries over the years. He had to have gastric sleeve surgery, and he was recently divorced. He has also experienced back and neck pains.
Murphy has a strong record in the World Championship. He reached four finals, and won his first title in 2005. However, he had a poor year last season and has had difficulty recovering. He made it to the Sheffield final and saved his ranking. However, he is struggling in the current season and has had poor results. But, he could be in the final as he has been showing good form at Crucible.